First They Took My Kodachrome Away - Now This?

Eastman Kodak files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection - Jan. 19, 2012. I admit that I didn't use Kodachrome much. I enjoyed processing my own negatives and transparencies in the darkroom. However, I have spent many hours in a darkroom with Kodak products; and, it is a dark day for photography. Kodak has finally succumbed to the vagaries of the digital age. I know, it is a product of its own hubris and inertia. Kodak could have led the digital revolution. But, the film products had been around for so long, the company thought they would be there forever. Chapter XI needn't be the end for Kodak. It is a good shot that a leaner company can survive bankruptcy, and come out better on the other end. However, purists pray that the film canisters we have grown to love will still live on, and that our darkrooms won't go dark forever. There is such a tangible joy to pulling a print out of a drum or tray in the darkroom, and to see the magic of light on paper.